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Kenyatta pulled into the lot of Davis Freight polished floors, frosted glass offices, and walls lined with digital tracking screens showing the movement of shipments across multiple states. The lobby was minimalistic but sleek, decorated in deep blue and gold, reflecting Davis Freight’s legacy.

At the center of it all was Krys’ office, a glass-walled executive suite with a panoramic view of the entire operations floor.

She was already there, seated behind a curved black marble desk, her gold MacBook open next to a white iMac, effortlessly managing both while scrolling through numbers and schedules. Her handwritten notes were precise, her pen moving with practiced ease. Behind her, a wall of glass shelves displayed trucking industry awards, framed property deeds, and a single sleek photo of her and her father standing in front of their first warehouse.

This was her domain. Her empire. And the way she owned the space was like she was built for this.

She barely looked up before saying, “You’re early.”

He grinned, slipping his hands in his pockets. “You sound surprised.”

Krys finally glanced up, giving him a quick once-over. “Just making sure you take this seriously.”

He leaned against the doorway. “What? You thought I was gonna show up late on my first day?”

She arched a brow. “Wouldn’t be the first time a man wasted my time.”

Kenyatta chuckled. “Damn. So, you got a history of picking bad hires and bad men?”

Krys smirked but didn’t dignify that with a response.

Kenyatta looked around. “Where’s ol’ boy at?”

Her face wrinkled, confused. “Who?”

“That big cujo nigga.”

“He wouldn’t appreciate being called ‘ol boy’ nor ‘cujo nigga’, and he’s with his sitter today.”

“Sitter? That’s a whole ass man. What he need a sitter for?”

Krys exhaled sharply, shaking her head, but he caught the twitch of amusement in her expression.

“You got two minutes to enjoy yourself before I start treating you like an employee.”

Kenyatta chuckled, stepping in further. “I thought I already was.”

Krys leaned back in her chair, watching him. “That depends on how today goes.”

She closed her laptop, standing up—all five-three of her, commanding attention in a sleek beige jumpsuit that hugged her curves just right, paired with nude stilettos that made her look a little taller.

“Come on,” she said, grabbing a folder from her desk. “Let’s get you familiar with everyone.”

**********

Krys led him through the main floor, where dispatchers, managers, and logistics coordinators handled everything from freight schedules to property maintenance requests.

Her staff was tight-knit but sharp, a mix of seasoned employees and young professionals hungry to prove themselves. They moved efficiently, calling out updates about routes, repairs, and upcoming property inspections.

Krys started the introductions.

“This is Gina, head of dispatch.”

A petite, no-nonsense woman with short curls and thick-rimmed glasses gave Kenyatta a quick once-over. “Nice to meet you,” she said, still typing at lightning speed. “You got a CDL?”

Krys cut in before he could respond. “He’s not a driver.”

Gina raised a brow. “Oh?”

Kenyatta gave a cocky grin. “I’m special.”

Krys ignored him. “Just know if you ever need to get a truck out in an emergency, Gina’s the one who makes it happen.”

Next, she gestured toward a tall, athletic man in a button-down and slacks. “This is Terry, our property manager.”

Terry, who looked like he could’ve played D1 ball, nodded. “So, you maintenance?”

“Something like that.”

Krys cut him a look. “He’s handling things on a broader level,” she said, almost dismissing the ‘maintenance’ label entirely.

Kenyatta’s brow lifted slightly. The hell did that mean ?

He kept quiet, but he noticed the way the staff reacted.

Terry blinked before nodding, as if taking mental notes, clearly noting the weird tension but not questioning it…yet.

Then came Ellis, a tall, stocky man in his forties who handled property inspections and compliance.

Krys introduced Kenyatta, but again, she never just called him ‘maintenance’.

She made it sound like he had more authority than that. Like he was somebody.

They moved to the conference area, where a few more employees worked, and Kenyatta caught the looks and hushed comments.

They weren’t looking at him like a new hire. They were looking at him like he had power. And Kenyatta noticed.

Finally, Krys stopped near her executive assistant, Sasha, a tall, model-thin woman with a sharp bob and manicured nails.

Sasha eyed Kenyatta longer than necessary before looking back at Krys. “So, this the guy?”

Krys rolled her eyes. “This is the new…lead.”

Sasha gave a knowing slanted smile, “Uh-huh.”

Kenyatta just chuckled. “Nice to meet you too.”

By the time they got to the trucking side of the business, Kenyatta could feel the shift in energy. People weren’t looking at him like some new hire. They were looking at him like…

Like they weren’t sure where he stood. Like they weren’t sure if they had to answer to him or not. And he could tell Krys knew exactly what she was doing. It was intentional.

The last stop was the dispatch office, where two employees, Manny and Reese, were going back and forth about a truck route.

Krys cleared her throat. “Y’all, this is Kenyatta. He’ll be handling things for me.”

Manny glanced up. “Like…what kind of things?”

Krys smiled. “Just know if something needs to be handled, he’ll be handling it.”

He still wasn’t sure if she was doing this on purpose or if she just didn’t think twice about how it sounded. Kenyatta just bit back a smirk and shook his head.

**********

When they made it back in Krys’ office, she sat down, clicking away at her laptop again like she hadn’t just set the entire office up for speculation. The air was thick with unspoken energy.

Kenyatta stood across from her like he belonged there, not like a man who just got hired, but like a man who was getting comfortable in a new seat of power.

Krys felt it, too.

She had made a strategic move in the way she introduced him, but she hadn’t expected the effect it would have on the entire office.

Or on her.

The weight of her own choices settled in as she scrolled through her emails.

This man, the same one who threw off her balance at couple’s night, the same one who was far too good at getting under her skin, was now inside her empire. Her world . And he had already shifted something. She hated that. Or at least, she told herself she did.

Kenyatta folded his arms, finally addressing the elephant in the room. “You gon’ tell me why they all looking at me like I’m more than a maintenance man?”

Krys finally glanced at him, expression unreadable. “Because you are more than just a maintenance worker, and…because I introduced you.”

“And?”

She went back to typing. “This job isn’t about just fixing stuff. You’re dealing with vendors, tenants, sometimes even sitting in on meetings when I need updates. You’re representing me when I’m not there. And I don’t put just anybody in my space.”

Kenyatta raised a brow. “Oh yeah? That mean I must’ve made a good impression with your people. Is that why I’ve been promoted?”

Krys smirked, “You made a scene. My family still talking about you.”

Kenyatta grinned, stepping a little closer. “You ain’t deny it, though…That I made a good impression.”

Krys shook her head, “You really think you cute, huh?”

“Nah, Bae. I know I am.”

Kenyatta studied her for a moment. He knew what this really was. Krys was protective of her image. She didn’t want anyone thinking she had hired just anybody. So, she had introduced him in a way that demanded respect.

Whether she meant to or not, she had given him a certain weight in the office. And now he was going to run with it.

He moved closer to her desk, watching her. “So, basically…you made me your right-hand man.”

Krys exhaled, closing her laptop. “Don’t get carried away.”

Kenyatta grinned. “Too late.”

Krys groaned, standing up and adjusting her clothes. “Go meet Terry in the back. He’ll show you the ropes.”

Kenyatta didn’t move right away. Instead, he continued to lean against the desk, watching her.

He wasn’t sure what the hell he just walked into, but one thing was clear; this job wasn’t just maintenance. He might’ve worked for her now…but he wasn’t about to play the role of ‘employee’ nor be expected to. Something told him Krys was perfectly fine with that.

**********

The conference room at Davis Freight & Properties was spacious and sleek, with a polished mahogany table stretching across the center. A floor-to-ceiling glass wall looked out over the dispatch floor, where calls were being made and numbers moved on digital boards.

Seated around the table were Krys’ senior staff: property managers, maintenance coordinators, and dispatch leads. Not a single empty chair.

And at the head of the table next to her, sitting like he belonged there, was Kenyatta.

Relaxed. Confident. Unbothered. In his polo, gold chain catching the light, and his tattoos on display. He didn’t speak first. Didn’t force his presence. He just let it be felt, and Krys hated that she noticed.

She exhaled, tapping her pen against her notepad before scanning the room. Professional. Poised. Unshaken.

“Alright, let’s get started.”

Sasha pulled up the agenda on the wall-mounted screen. “First item—maintenance workflow updates.”

Krys turned her gaze toward Kenyatta. “Since you’re new, let’s go over your responsibilities.”

Kenyatta tilted his head slightly, smirking. “That mean I’m officially on payroll?”

Some of the staff chuckled.

Krys shot him a flat look. “It means you got work to do.”

He leaned back in his chair, nodding. “Same thing.”

Gina cut a glance between them, intrigued.

Terry, the property manager, lifted a brow. “Damn, we can joke with the boss now?”

More quiet chuckles.

Krys ignored them, flipping through her folder.

“First, you’ll do a full walk-through of the properties with Ellis. He’ll get you familiar with the ongoing repairs and work orders.”

Kenyatta nodded, unbothered. “Bet.”

Krys narrowed her eyes slightly. Too easy.

“You’ll also sit in on our maintenance vendor calls. See how we handle contracts and service agreements.”

Another nod. Still unfazed.

Terry frowned slightly. “Wait…he’s sitting in on vendor calls?”

It was a valid question. No other maintenance worker got that level of access.

Krys, without hesitation, responded. “Yes. He is.”

That got a few looks around the table.

Kenyatta, amused, caught onto it instantly. They knew he wasn’t just maintenance. They all felt it.

He teased, “You really setting me up for the VIP treatment, huh?”

Krys didn’t look at him. “I expect detailed reports, Yatta. I don’t do messy business.”

The way she said his name didn’t go unnoticed. Gina and Sasha exchanged a glance.

Kenyatta leaned forward slightly, voice low, smooth. “Then you gon’ love me, Bae. I don’t do messy, either.”

A cough. A laugh.

Terry outright stared at them now. “Wait a minute now…”

Sasha motioned with her finger up to her lips for Terry to hush.

Krys paused for half a second before flipping the page like she hadn’t heard it. “Next.”

Sasha bit back a giggle as she moved to the next agenda item on the screen.

Halfway through the meeting, the conversation shifted to staffing adjustments and new policies.

Krys, back in full boss mode, was outlining an initiative when Kenyatta leaned in, speaking low.

“You really ain’t gon’ talk about how I made a good impression on your family?”

Trying not to react to him right away, Krys slowly turned toward him.

“Are you trying to be funny, Yatta?” she asked, voice neutral, yet dangerous.

Kenyatta’s grin didn’t fade.

“I mean, it’s a fair question.” His voice dipped just enough for only her to hear. “‘Cause it felt like they liked me. Especially your auntie.”

Krys inhaled deeply. “Are you done?”

Kenyatta pretended to think. “Nah.”

Krys tilted her head slightly, watching him. Then she smiled. “Sasha, go ahead and add an extra task to Kenyatta’s workload. Let’s make sure he has enough to keep him busy.”

Sasha, holding back a grin, nodded. “Noted.”

Kenyatta chuckled under his breath, shaking his head. “Damn. Just like that?”

Krys leaned in slightly, voice taunting. “You wanna keep playing?”

Kenyatta’s smirk deepened. “I like my chances.”

As Krys wrapped up, she noticed a shift in the room. Her employees weren’t dumb. They had picked up on something. His presence was different. The way Krys responded to him was different.

As chairs scraped against the floor and people gathered their things, Gina walked past Krys, lowering her voice.

“You might wanna be careful.”

Krys arched a brow. “With what?”

Gina gave her a knowing look. “With whatever that is.” She nodded subtly toward Kenyatta. “People talk.”

Krys exhaled sharply, watching as Kenyatta scoffed knowingly at something Sasha said on his way out.

He was too comfortable already.

But so was she.